Conductor-support.



comnumoa suman PPLCATION HLM) ULY 3.1914,

T192@ l @l @s Pmemed Jam. 2, 19K

3 SHEETS-SHEET CONDUCTOR SUPPORT.

APPLIcATxoN FILED JULY 8.1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@l l 9 l @o Patented Jan. 2, i911 i. T. HGHE.

CONDUCTOR SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JU LY 8l i914. Ll kw@ Meme@ m. 2, im

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Supports,

.heretofore been rather wire angle correspond to JO T; TIGHE, 0F SCBANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

oonnnc'ronfsorronr.

Specification of Letters Patent. A

lllatented dan. 2, ill..

Application led July 8, 191%. Serial No. M9383.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN T. Tiens, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton,'in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have'invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Conductorof which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

rlhis invention contemplates improvements in conductor supports for overhead trolley wires, and is particularly directed to so-called frogs, switches, and crossovers for overhead trolley systems. ln connections of this kind, certain parts of the apparatus are subjected. to considerably more wear than others, and in many of the devices at present in use, this deterioration 'of a part necessitates the removal of the entire connecting medium.

My invention provides for the removal and insertion` of parts which are most likely to wear, without aecting those in good condition.

The apparatus forming the subject matter of this invention is constructed so that the parts are standardized and interchangeable. The wire carrying portions comprise, preferably, two separable units, to which is secured a central detachable guide disk or wear plate. Any of the bolts, wire retaining, securing, or bracing members on one of these units lmay be used on the other. This arrangement simplifies construction, and minimizes the number of parts.

A special feature of this invention is the rovision of means whereby the 'angle at which the trolley wires converge may be made to accurately correspond with the angle of convergence of the tracks below. The track angle is generally a known quantity, or if not, is easily determined. It has difficult to make the tire track angle,.or when this was done, to secure the parts in this denite relation.

ln my invention there is provided means for assuring accurate correspondence between track and wire angles, and for maintaining them in this relation securely.

Novel and practical means for securing the wires, bracing the structure, simplify blage of parts, economizing its ing the assem manufacture, and other advantageous features will in part be apparent, and in part lloemade clear. in the description which fol` ows.

Drawings are appended which form a part hereof, and wherein is illustrated an embodiment of my invention. The followmg views are shown therein:

Figure l, is a top plan view, a part being broken; Fig. 2, is a bottom plan view; Fig. 3, is a side elevation partly in section;'Fig. a, is a longitudinal, and Figo, a cross sectional view of a part. Fig. 6, is a detail plan view of a part; Fig. 7, is a top plan view of an adaptation of my invention as a crossover, the parts being extended to the limit of angularity in one direction; Fig. 8, is a sectional side elevation of a part; and Fig. 9, a detail view in cross section.

As disclosed in these drawings, my invention may be said to' comprise the following units: two wire guiding and retaining elements; a central detachable disk, called herein also a guideplate or wear plate; means for securing the wire retaining elementsv and disk; means for determining the angular relation of the wire retaining elements; means for maintaining them in predetermined angular, relationship; means for bracing the structure; and means for securing the wires in the wire guiding and retaining elements.'

Referring now specifically to thedrawings, in which each numeral designates a corresponding part in this description, l, and 2, are wire guiding and..retaining elements for trolley wires marked '3. On the guiding and rep end portions of these wire taining elements, there are' raised shouldersl Li, in spaced relation. 'llhey form a sleeve or guideway for the trolley wires, and are connected by a central or body portion 5. ln Figs. 4, and 5, one means for securing the trolley wires vin these guidin shoulders, is shown. ,It comprises a bloc 6, the underneath surface of which is preferably formed to the curvature of the wire, and which is also curved or beveled longitudinally to conform with the curvature of the guideway between the shoulders, as plainly seen in Fig. fl. rlhe blopk 6 is adapted to it snugly between the shoulders, and has its upper surface notched or slotted transversely for the reception of a wedge member 7u The one shown is'of the split variet and passes through holes 7T in the raise shoulders. Whenv driven home, it may be 'clenched for greater Security;-

The under surfaces of the wire guiding arid retaining'r` members are sloped gradually downward from their outer ends to the cen'- tral or body portion 5, for the purpose of forming trolley wheel guides 8, and 9. At the point where these guides meet the body portion 5, notches 10 are provided. Theyv are for the reception and retention of a ianged portion 11 oli a central guide dish or wear plate 12.

The disk 12 has vnotches 13 on its outer periphery, adapted to permit it to pass the ends of the guides 8, and 9, and when slightly turned, to dispose the integral portion of the flange snugly within the notches 10. On its under surface are also grooved guideways '1li for the accommodation of the flanges of a trolley wheel, not shown, and it is secured to .the wire retaining members in any suitable manner. As a pivotal connection with these members is desirable, the means here shown comprise a bolt 15 passing through openings in the body portions 5, andthe disk, 'and retained by a nut l16, formed preferably as shown so as to act as an additional guide for the trolley Wheel, and prevent its lateral displacement when traversing the disk.

In practical use, the grooved guideways in the disk are made at pre-determined angles, and the preliminary adjustment of the wire retaining members with the track angle may be made with a fair degree of accuracy, by selecting ,a disk having the guideways of the same angle as the track, and moving the trolley wheel guides 8, and 9, into parallelism with the espective guideways on the disk.

In order to secure absolute correspondence between the angle of convergence of both tracks and wires, and to maintain this relation permanently, other means are provided an embodiment whereof is shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9. I

Members 17, adapted to slide `along the surface of corresponding members 18, are secured suitably to opposite portions of the wire guiding and retaining members, as by screws 19. They have a curvature which would correspond to the circumference of a circle whose center point will be the pivotal point of the bolt 15 which connects the Wire guiding and retaining members. Upon the members 18 there is provided a graduated scale representing degrees of angularity, and designated by the letter A. When the free end of the members 17 point to the number on this scale it represents the angle of convergence ofthe wires, and the desired angle may be maintained by clamping the parts together as by a bolt 20, carried by the member 17, free to move in a slot 21 in. the member .18. It, maybe clamped in (any desired position in the slot by the nut 22.

By making the member 17 short as shown, and the member 18 long enough to permit the members to cross at right angles., any degree of' angularity may be accommodated. For this purpose, a slot 23 is provided to permit the passage of the longer'members through thcvvire guiders and retainers when used onV small angles. Both membersand consequently the slot to receive members 18, are slightly .curved in cross section for the purpose of deiiecting the trolley head, and prevent its' jamming between the wire retainers when the trolley-head becomes detached from the wire.

Meansfor bracing the structure are provided, and as here shown comprise abutments 24 disposedon the upper portions of the raised shoulders.l tion of the shoulders are having a portion braced against the abut- `ments, and a tongue 26 passing between the shoulders. They are secured suitably, pins 27 passing through a portion of the abutments being here shown.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the invention herein described produces new results by novel instrumentality. It is simple, practical, economical of manufacture, and a great saver of time in practical overhead trolley system construction.

While I have disclosed my invention in the embodiment herein described, it-will be understood that I do not wish to ,limit myself to the precise construction of this disclosure, nor to any particular means whereby the same has been or may be carried into effect, as many changes in the general construction and arrangements of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, or sacrificing its chief advantages. Y

What I claim is 1. A conductor 4support comprising in combination a plurality of wire guiding and retaining members; each member having a body portion and endA sections; wire guiding instrumentality disposed on. each end section; means, comprising coacting wedge members for securing wires, disposed on each end section; means for connecting said body portions; means for determining the degree of angularityof one member 1n relation to another; and means, independent of said body portion connecting means, for securing the members in any degree of relative angular relation.

2. A conductor support comprising 1n combination a plurality of wire guiding and re- Resting on a por- Y cross braces 25,

taining members; each member having a each end section; means, comprising coact- 4ing and interlocking wedge members for securing wires, disposed on each end section; means for connecting said wire guiding and retaining members; means for determining the degree of angularity of one member in relation to another; means, forming a portion of said angle determining means, for securing the members in any degree of relative angular relation; and a guide plate secured to the members.

3. A conductor support comprising in combination a plurality of wire guiding and retaining members, eachmember having a body portion and end sections; raised shoulders in spaced relation to form wire guides, disposed on each end section; said shoulders being provided with juxtaposed openings; a wedge member, provided at its uppervedge with a notched opening and adapted to bear at its lower edge on a wire, disposed in each end section between said shoulders; a locking wedge member disposed in the juxtaposed openings in said shoulders, and bearing in the notched opening in said first mentioned wedge; means for securing the wire guiding and retaining members; and means, independent of said securing means, for retaining the members in any predetermined degree of relative angular relation.

4. A conductor support comprising in combination a plurality of wire guiding and retaining members, each member having a body portion and end sections; raised shoulders in spaced relation to form wire guides, disposed on each end section; said shoulders being provided with juxtaposed openings; a wedge member, provided at its upper edge with a notched opening and adapted to bear at its lower edge on a wire, disposed on said end sections between said raised shoulders; a locking wedge member disposed in the juxtaposed openings in said shoulders and bearing in the notched opening in said first mentioned wedge; wheel guiding flanges on the end sections; a guide plate disposed between said flanges and secured to said body portions; means for determining the' degree of angularity of one member in relation to another; means for securing the wire guiding and retaining members; means, independent of said securing means, for retaining the members in predetermined angular relation; and means,- connecting oppositely disposed shoulders on each end section, for bracing the structure.

5. A conductor support comprising in combination a plurality of wire guiding and retaining members, each member having a body portion and end sections; wire guiding instrumentality comprising raised shoulders, in spaced relation, disposed on each end section; means, comprising coacting and interlocking wedge members for securing said wires; means for connecting said wire guiding and retaining members; wheel guiding flanges disposed on said end sections; aguide plate disposed between said flanges and secured to said body portions; abutments disposed on Said raised shoulders; means, comprising a cross brace having a tongue at each end adapted to enter the space between the shoulders,A disposed on opposite shoulders against said abutments; and means for securing said brace members in position against said abutments.

6. As an article of manufacture to be used with a conductor support, having a plurality of wire guiding and retaining members, an angle determining instrumentality comprising a member adapted to be secured to one of said wire guiding components, said member being provided with a slotted opening and a graduated scale; a member adapted to be secured to another of said wire guiding components, and having a portion extending into engagement with and slidable on said first mentioned member; and means carried by one of said members, and movable in said slotted opening for securing the members in any predetermined position.

7. As an article of manufacture for use in connection with a conductor support having a plurality of wire guiding and retaining members, a detachable trolley guiding disk provided with an opening for the reception of means for securing it to said conductor support, and having grooves for the reception and guidance of trolley wheel flanges, disposed on a surface thereof; said grooves being set at a predetermined degree of angula-rity with relation to each other, whereby they may be made to correspond with the degree of angularity of one portion of a track with another.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN T. TIGHE. Witnesses:

PETER F. LALLEY, JAMES EDWARDS. 

